2/40

2/40

I stayed behind at Java for a glass of fresh juice. Jeremy showing up and leaving immediately was an inconvenience but his idea of time was not the same as mine. I thought of how I would explain the bill to the HR and ordered another glass. Two glasses=no explanation to the HR.

When I made it to the office that afternoon, I was welcomed by two eager receptionists. Alice could smell trouble as far as Nairobi. Wanja could sniff a hint of good news as far as America. The two could spit bile or honey down the phone with a simple hello. So when Wanja approached me first, I was deluded that all would be well by crossing my fingers.

“So, word is that you were meeting some fly guy who saves poor kids,is it true?”

“Which part? The guy, him being fly, saving poor kids or that I was meeting him?”

“Don’t act all Bossy! You never meet young people,all those CEOs you meet have made you forget young guys, so how did the meeting go and why are you early?”

“It went well and did Lillian leave the report I asked for?”

“You are so serious Madam PR! You definitely need that PR you talk about, and some facial treatment, like a day at the spa so you can smile more often!”

“I will smile once this project is done,and I’ve gotten that Masters degree! How did you two know about my meeting?”

“Alex, the tall guy who works in Accounts told Evans. You know Evans likes to hear the sound of his voice. He told Lillian who told her assistant over lunch and she told us,so the whole office knows mpaka Mama Chai.”

“Well, may I please have that file Lillian left so I can figure out how this whole project will work?”

Alice handed me the file while Wanja kept her eyes on me afraid that they might lose some information about the meeting if I blinked.